Foose Cash Sr Wins 2 Million

Gelding by freshman sire Foose scores at 25-1.

December 16, 2013

Foose Cash Sr scored one of the biggest upset victories in the history of the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity (G1) after winning California’s richest America n Quarter Horse race at 25-1 odds on Sunday night.

Ridden by Francisco Rubio for the partnership of Jose and Gustavo De La Torre, La Presita LLC and San Gregorio Racing Stables, Foose Cash Sr paid $52.80 for the win. He earned $804,940 of the $1,989,525 total purse while covering the 400 yards in :19.601. That equates to $41,066 per each second that it took him to win the race.

Foose Cash Sr led from start to finish and crossed the wire three-quarters of a length ahead of the 8-5 favorite and fastest qualifier Viva Mi Corazon. Foose Cash Sr had won his trial by 1 ¼ lengths before returning with this win from along the rail. His win payout is the second largest in the Two Million only behind One Quick First Down’s $59.20 payout in 2010.

Bred by Anselmo Aguilar of La Presita LLC, Foose Cash Sr is a gelding by freshman sire Foose and out of the Takin On The Cash mare Takin Some Gold, a stakes winner of over $30,000 from the family of graded stakes winner Skyline Lover. Foose now looks set for 2013 as the nation’s leading freshman stallion in wins (with 44 and counting) and will most likely finish as the second-leading freshman stallion in money earned with $1.575 million. As for Foose Cash Sr, this was only his third start since being gelded following his out of the money finish in the Governor’s Cup Futurity in late July.

“It was a tough decision to geld him, but he was acting too much like a stud and he was not focusing,” Aguilar explained. “We felt that he had all the ability, but we needed to decide whether or not we needed to geld him. Everyone finally agreed and we went ahead and gelded him.”

La Presita LLC is one of the top breeding operations in Mexico and the home to six stallions. La Presita LLC also consigned a half-sister to Foose Cash Sr that was the $100,000 co-sale topper at this year’s Los Alamitos Equine Sale. Aguilar has been racing and breeding horses for 12 years.

“Winning this race with a homebred is the greatest thing,” Aguilar said. “We’ve dreamed about this moment and just to be in this race is a great accomplishment.”

It’s been back-to-back huge years for San Gregorio Racing Stables and the De La Torres as well. Last year, they won the Ed Burke Million, All American Futurity and Golden State Million with One Dashing Eagle. This year, San Gregorio won the Ed Burke Million with Five Bar Cartel.

“I think the best thing was to geld him,” said Jorge Carmona of San Gregorio. “We didn’t want to do it, but it turned out to be the best thing. It was a tough decision. I feel fortunate to be part of this group. The past two seasons have been the most wonderful years of my racing life. I was rooting for my horse Five Bar Cartel to win because he’s still a colt and it would help his case to win a championship title, but that wasn’t possible and I’m so grateful that I’m still able to be a part of this victory. Five Bar Cartel qualified to the three top futurities here at Los Alamitos so I am excited about that. To be honest when the gates opened I was focusing on Five Bar Cartel. I thought at first that it was Viva Mi Corazon in front, but then I saw that it was my other horse that had lit the board. I bought a third of Foose Cash Sr right before the Governor’s Cup Futurity and what a great investment it turned out to be. Dr. Aguilar invited into this partnership and it’s a wonderful feeling every time you win.”

Gustavo De La Torre saddled Foose Cash Sr in the Two Million because his 12 siblings, including trainer Jose De La Torre, were with their father, Jose De La Torre Sr., who is now recovering from a heart operation that was completed just a few hours before the running of this race.

“There are 13 of us and 12 of them are there with my dad,” Gustavo said. “It was a 10-hour long operation. It was very hard for me to stay here, but somebody had to be here. My dad found out Saturday at noon about his heart problem and the doctors told him that his heart could stop at any minute. My dad taught and showed us about horses.

“Since the beginning when we were training the babies, Foose Cash Sr looked like one of the best horses that we had,” he added. “He was one of the top three babies in our barn, but he just wouldn’t settle in the gate. As soon as we cut him, he was different. This horse will now need some rest. We’ll find a pasture for him to enjoy two to three months off. He is paid into every single derby in California. He’ll skip a few, but his entitled to run in every one of them.”

Racing for Johnny Trotter and Burnett Ranches LLC, Viva Mi Corazon earned $325,809 for his runner-up effort. The gelding by First Down Dash had a tremendous campaign at Los Alamitos, winning three of his four local starts. Bred by Bob and/or Jerry Gaston, Viva Mi Corazon has now earned $515,369 while winning five of nine starts. Trey Wood saddled Viva Mi Corazon, who was ridden by Cody Jensen.

“I’m proud of him,” Wood said. “He got bumped, but he was running great at the end of the race. Viva Mi Corazon and Ms First Prize Rose will be back next year. Their next start will be in New Mexico.”

Racing for the De La Torres and John Haagsma, A Corona Sunset earned $229,983 for finishing in third place. He was ridden by Ramon Sanchez at odds of 28-1. Five Bar Cartel earned $134,156 for the finishing fourth to take his season’s total to $654,358.

“Every time Five Bar Cartel has raced, we’ve had x-rays done on him and we’ll do the same after this race,” Carmona added. “Most likely he’ll race as a 3-year-old depending on how he comes back. He hasn’t chipped, which is great. As fast as he runs, it’s not long before they get a chip. We might pay him late to the All American Derby. If he likes the (altitude) we’ll run him in the All American Derby. He’s a tough horse with a lot of heart.”

Trotter and Burnett Ranches LLC’s Ms First Prize Rose earned $114,991 for running fifth. That takes her career earnings to $543,595.

***

Ron Hartley’s Moonist won the $35,000 Los Alamitos Invitational Stakes (R) by a half-length to give him his second stakes win of the season. He also won the Golden State Juvenile Stakes (R) last month. Both races serve as consolation events to those two major futurities. Moonist also finished second in the Governor’s Cup Futurity earlier this season. Cesar De Alba piloted the Separatist gelding for trainer John Cooper. A son of the champion and millionaire Your First Moon, Moonist earned $14,000 for the win to take his earnings over the $100,000 mark. A winner in four of his 10 starts, he’s made $102,560 this year. Freakier LLC’s Fiesty Flo, who ran in the Ed Burke Memorial Juvenile (R) earlier this season, earned $7,000 for finishing in second-place. Santiago Mendez piloted the TR Dasher filly for trainer Jose Flores.